130: Lars Elstrup, Luton Town, Merlin Shooting Stars 1991/92

This post is for my colleague and friend Jonny Patrick and takes a look at a forward he describes as “a good player from the golden age of Hatters” who endured a turbulent life following his retirement. Jonny’s had a couple of tough years as his beloved Luton Town suffered back-to-back relegations although things have certainly been worse at Kenilworth Road in the recent past. I can’t promise any references to niche political extremists in this one mate but I think the footballer in question brings us plenty to unpack. Enjoy!

During his lengthy career Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a preposterous 573 goals for some of the world’s biggest football clubs and his country. As well as his martial artist’s balance and flexibility, to go along with his exceptional talent, the forward is blessed with an unshakeable self-confidence to the extent he often refers to himself mononymously and in the third person. Until recently Zlatan could direct any critics to one of his (many) tattoos which proudly declared “only God can judge me”. Earlier this year Ibrahimovic had the tattoo he described as his personal shield removed. God has been unavailable for comment but has maybe turned their attention to the similarly inked Mesut Ozil or Ryan Kent.

Several footballers have demonstrated their faith in a higher power through crossing themselves, pointing skyward or falling to their knees in prayer. Perhaps this faith provides an additional layer of certainty in a career spent in the public eye and at the mercy of opposing fans, pundits and nostalgia blog writers. For others this safety net has been more important following retirement. ‘Class of 92’ graduate Phil Mulryne entered the Catholic priesthood in 2017 while former Queen’s Parl Rangers and Chelsea midfielder Gavin Peacock became a Baptist minister in 2012. These pale in comparison, however, to the post-football dive into the spiritual world made by former Denmark and Luton Town striker Lars Elstrup.

Elstrup arrived in Bedfordshire in 1989 having represented Danish sides Randers Freja, Brondby and Odense as well as Dutch giants Feyenoord. His time at Odense saw him called up to the Danish national side where he celebrated his debut with two goals in a win against neighbours Sweden and Ray Harford spent a club record £850,000 to bolster his attacking options at Luton. He found the net nine times in his first season helping the Hatters stave off relegation at the expense of Sheffield Wednesday on goal difference. Elstrup was even more influential in the following campaign with eighteen goals in all competitions to once again keep Luton in the top flight. These included a hat trick against Norwich City and a final day strike against Derby County to secure survival which was overlooked somewhat thanks to Hatters’ legend Mick Harford’s own goal for his then employers. Despite these impressive efforts Elstrup moved back to Odense for less than a quarter of the fee Luton shelled out for him ahead of the 1991/92 season. With the departures of Kingsley Black and Matt Jackson as well it is hardly surprising that Luton crashed out of the First Division finishing two points behind 1990s survival specialists Coventry City.

Back in Denmark Lars Elstrup carried on his goalscoring exploits and was called up for his country’s tilt at the European Championships after the withdrawal of Yugoslavia. The Danes navigated their way out of a tough group alongside hosts Sweden, Graham Taylor’s England and France and Elstrup scored the winner against the latter to secure progression to the semi-finals. He scored from the spot in their shootout victory over the Netherlands, outperforming Marco van Basten in that sense, but was an unused substitute in their shock victory over reigning world champions Germany. Just a year after these exploits he announced his retirement from football citing “damage to body and mind”. His doubt in his own ability had set in in the days leading to the Euro 92 final where he began to feel “there was no way I wanted to play in the final…I was afraid of being a failure. What if I miss a big chance and we don’t win?” 

Elstrup sought solace in a spiritual sect where he took the name Darando meaning ‘The River Which Flows to the Sea’. It appears, however, that he did not find the peace of mind he was looking for as, over the course of five years he was arrested twice (once for punching a school child in Odense) and retreated from the public eye despite offers from Odense to restart his career. In his recent autobiography he documented his descent into depression over the following fifteen years which often made it impossible for him to leave his bed although he did manage to get arrested for streaking at a Danish Superliga game. Such were the lows Elstrup endured during this time he had “grass growing up from [the] drain in the shower”. As of 2022 he appears to have reached a better place with his mental health and visited Kenilworth Road where he received a fond welcome from fans and club officials alike.

Lars Elstrup achieved a lot in his short footballing career and his former national manager, Richard Moller Nielsen, stated that “the only thing wrong with Lars is that he doesn’t know how good he is”. The doubts that saw him step away with the game opened the door to a challenging period for the former striker and his engagement with the spiritual sect seemed to provide more strife than solutions. Whether it was as Lars Elstrup, Darando or Mother Shibubu it’s undeniable that he was a more than useful striker and it’s good to see that he is in a better place than at the end of his playing career. Perhaps only God can judge him.